Dry razor



March l, 1955 w. R. GARDNER DRY RAZOR Filed sept. s, i952 meek Uu..

ATTORNEY United States Patent O DRY RAZOR William R. Gardner, Gary, Ind.; `Hazel F. Brown, executrix of said Gardner, deceased, assignor of forty-two and one-half per cent to John W. Prosser, East Liverpool, Ohio,`,and-ifteen'iper cent to E. .Earl Campbell, Ohio Township, Pa.

Application September 8, 1952, `Serial No. 308,375

4'Claims. V(Cl. 30-43) This invention relates to dry razors, more particularly to shaving heads therefor, and has for its principal object to provide such a razor capable of cutting whiskers close to the skin, commonly known as close shaving.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dry razor capable of close shaving as aforesaid in which the stationary cutting member or comb is formed of exceedingly thin material which would be incapable while in a relaxed state of withstanding without buckling the normal pressures which would be applied against its cutting edges while shaving.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dry razor having an exceedingly thin comb as aforesaid which is maintained under tension in a direction parallel to the shaving surface so as to impart suflcient rigidity to the comb to enable it to perform its intended function.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the shaving head portion of a dry razor.

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan thereof.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan of the reciprocating cutter.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the comb supporting frame.

Figure 6 is an enlarged end elevation thereof. l

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the comb supporting frame.

Figure 8 is an enlarged end elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 1 designates a razor handle and casing which may be of any well known construction housing a suitable motor, not shown, by means of which reciprocating motion may be transmitted through the arm 2 to the reclproeating cutter 3. The cutter 3 is slidably mounted m a frame 4 removably mounted in a recess 5 provided in the handle 1.

The frame 4 is of substantially U-shaped construction including a front leg 6 and a rear leg 7 between which the cutter 3 is slidably mounted. The legs 6 and 7 provide spaced supports for a stationary cutter or comb 8 which also is supported on a tension bar 9. The comb S is secured adjacent one edge to the leg 7 by means of a plurality of suitable screws 10, and adjacent its opposite edge it is secured by similar screws 11 to the tension bar 9 which is secured by the same screws 11 to the leg 6. The threaded openings in the legs 6 and 7 for the screws 11 and 10 are designated 28. The frame is centered with respect to the handle by means of projections 13 on the upper face of the handlel whlch extend into recesses 14 in the lower face of the framez Preferably the cutter 3 is constructed as shown, 1ncluding a solid lower portion 15 in the nature of a block and a hollow upper portion 16 substantially in the form of an inverted U-shaped strap. The lower portion 15 is formed with a bore 17 to receive the head 18 of the operating rod 2 projecting upwardly from the handle 1 and through a slot 20 in the frame 4. Upon suitable actuation of the rod, the cutter 3 is reciprocated within the frame 4 in sliding contact with the lower surface of the comb 8.

The comb is provided with spaced slots 21 for the reception of whiskers While shaving, and the cutter is ICC provided in its upper portion with cooperating slots 22, the longitudinal edges of the slots 21 and 22 providing cooperating cutting edges for severing the protruding whiskers with a shearing action upon reciprocation of the cutter 3. The upper edges of the legs 6 and 7 of the frame are provided with grooves 23, and the upper edge of the tension bar 9 is provided with grooves 24, all for endwise registry with `slots 21 so that whiskers may feed smoothly through the grooves 23 and 24 to the slots 21 and 22 as the razor is moved across the face in operating position. Preferably the slots 21 are relavtively short and arranged inrows as shown so as to minimize weakening `of the v,comb by the removal `of metal in forming `the slots.

The comb 8 is of extreme thinness in order that the whiskers protruding through the slots therein may be cut as close to the face as possible, and preferably is formed of spring steel so as to have some inherent rigidity although insufcient to withstand in its normal relaxed state without buckling the normal pressures of the whiskers against the longitudinal edges of the slots during shaving. To increase the inherent rigidity sufficiently to enable the comb to perform its intended function, it is maintained under tension in a direction parallel to the shaving surface and to the path of reciprocation of the cutter by means of the tension bar 9 which is provided with an elongated wedge shaped projection 25 received within a similarly shaped but wider notch 26 in the outer face of the leg 6 of the frame 4. Upon tightening the screws 11, the bar 9 swings about the projection 25 as a fulcrum with the upper portion of the bar exerting a pressure on the comb laterally of and outwardly from the frame 4, thus tending to stretch the portion of the comb in contact with the face in the direction of its extension across the end faces of the legs and parallel to the adjacent surface of the face and to the path of reciprocation of the cutter and thereby materially increasing the effective rigidity of the operating portion of the comb. Due to the provision of the tensioning means functioning to stretch the comb in a direction parallel to the contacted surface of the face, the required thickness of the comb may be reduced to a minimum, thus enabling the cutter 3 to reciprocate in extremely close relation to the face whereby an unusually close shave is assured. Due to the adjustability of the tensioning member, the tension may be varied in accordance with the characteristics of the material forming the comb so as to stretch the latter with the necessary rigidity across the operating face of the reciprocating cutter. In order that the bar 9 may swing freely about the projection 25 as a fulcrum upon adjusting the screws 11, the openings 27 through the bar 9 are slightly larger than the shanks of the screws to permit a slight play of the shanks within the openings. Although the projection 25 and notch 26 preferably are of elongated wedge shape as shown, any suitable projection and recess arrangement capable of providing a non-slipping fulcrum for the tension bar may be employed.

I claim:

1. A dry razor comprising a substantially U-shaped frame including front and rear legs and having a slotted cutter member mounted for reciprocating therein, a. slotted comb extending across the end faces of said legs and secured adjacent one edge to the rear leg, the said front leg having an elongated recess wedge shaped in cross section formed in its outer face, a tension bar, means securing the comb to said tension bar outside of said front leg, an elongated wedge shaped projection on the tension bar extending into said recess and providing a fulcrum, and means for adjustably securing the tension bar below the fulcrum to the front leg for movement toward or away therefrom whereby the upper portion of the bar may be swung about the fulcrum to tension the comb in the direction of its extension across the end faces of said legs.

2. A dry razor comprising a slotted frame open at one end and having a cutter mounted for reciprocation therein, a slotted comb extending across the open end of said frame and secured adjacent one edge thereto,

3 a tension bar, means securing the comb to said tension bar outside of said frame, a fulcrum provided on the bar in contact with the frame, and means for securing the tension bar at one side of the fulcrum to the frame for adjustment toward or away therefrom whereby the portion of the bar on the opposite side of the fulcrum may be swung about said fulcrum to tension the comb in the direction of its extension across the open end of said frame.

3. A dry razor comprising a support, a cutter mounted for reciprocation on said support, a slotted comb carried by the support and extending across said cutter in parallel relation to the path of reciprocation of the cutter, and a tensioning member in engagement with the comb and adjustably connected with the support for move- 15 ment of the comb engaging portion of said member toward or away from the support to adjustably tension the comb in the direction of its extension across the cutter in parallel relation to the path of reciprocation of the cutter.

4. A dry razor comprising a support, a cutter mounted on said support for reciprocation along and substantially parallel to a shaving surface, a slotted comb carried by the support and having a portion extending lengthwise across said cutter in parallel relation to said shaving surface, and a tensioning member in engagement with the comb and being adjustable relative to said support for outward lateral movement of the comb engaging portion of said member relative to the support to stretch said lengthwise extending portion of the comb in a direction extending parallel to said shaving surface.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,240,633 Testi May 6, 1941 2,263,155 Wright Nov. 18, 1941 2,289,518 Raia July 14, 1942 

